Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
Going back to October for this image taken along Webster Pass. You can be certain this same view would be a lot snowier and a lot bleaker right now.
It was cold but beautiful morning in the Colorado high country when I took this shot. The first widespread snow had coated the mountains above timberline and below, the aspen trees were resplendent in the fall gold.
This image was one of my favorites from that outing. I loved all the colors – the green, yellow, white and blue.
One day after work last week I made a stop at a local open space to fly my drone. Ideally, I was hoping to get some cool fall foliage pics but the scenes weren’t as nice as I had hoped. Strong winds the day before had knocked a lot of leaves off the trees and it was a bit early in the day so light was harsh. Nevertheless, I managed to get what I think are some pretty cool captures. I am fascinated by just how differently things look from above. Some of the images have quite a lot to take in as you look at them.
I have been visiting this local open space for years. The old farm was bought by the City of Thornton and it is now a nice little retreat in the middle of suburbia. I have always said I needed to photograph it at sunrise and this past Sunday I finally did.
As you can see, it was well worth it. Mother Nature put on a beautiful show in the sky and the changing of the seasons colored the trees and bushes in hues of yellow and orange. That barn looked pretty cool and the meandering creek just adds to the image.
The fall foliage here along the Colorado Front Range has been quite beautiful, showing you don’t have to go to the mountains to get cool captures. This scene was from last weekend at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
I am sure some folks thought I was nuts laying on the road to get this shot but I think it was worth it. 😉
So, I have had some pretty danged good luck with foxes lately, as seen in this image for Fox Friday.
I was recently out photographing with a friend and we knew foxes were in the area and I joked, “I want a fox to come sit right on that log and pose for us.” No joke, five minutes later, I look over and there is a fox on a log looking right at us!
It wasn’t the same log I had pointed to but this one was in fact better as it had a lot more character and the leaves behind made the scene even better. The fox was clearly very much aware of our presence but tolerated us as we were a good ways away.
It was wary at first, standing for quite a while and clearly ready to run. We just stayed put and watched, marveling at its beauty and enjoying the opportunity. It then sat down, giving us some great poses. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Slowly I am starting to see the seasonal visiting bald eagles return for their winter visit to Colorado. Sunday, I happened across this nice young one (probably 3 1/2 years old) posing perfectly with a nice fall foliage backdrop. I’ll take that in a heartbeat.
Bald eagles all brown once they shed the down they are born with, including the head. It isn’t until they are between 4 and 5 years old that they get that distinctive white head. As you can see, this one has a lot of white in the head but still has some spots of brown in there as well as mottled tail feathers so it is close to being an adult.
With thick, low clouds causing dim light, I didn’t have a lot of hope for my photo outing yesterday. However, overcast skies do have the benefit of evening out the light and eliminating bright spots and dark shadows. As a result, I got some pretty neat captures, despite the conditions.
In this image from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, we bring together a bit of everything: The Old West with the bison, the New West with the Denver skyline in the background, and then we throw in the Rocky Mountains and a touch of fall foliage to add even more interest. It was a cool scene for sure and one that I was glad to be able to capture.
My photo outing yesterday wasn’t as productive as I had hoped so I found myself working pretty hard to get some share-worthy images. Thankfully, our only natural satellite provided a cool subject, particularly when thrown in with some of those gorgeous blue Colorado skies and the changing fall foliage. The details you capture of the moon at this stage is captivating to me and I can just sit there studying all the craters and other features, seeing something different each time.
A typically beautiful fall scene in the Colorado high country. Taken on Guanella Pass a couple of weeks ago, it was gorgeous – and chilly. Near and above timberline, a light snow covered the landscape in white. Down below, it was much warmer and drier.
Here, you’re near the summit of the 11,670 foot high pass and looking east northeast. The winding road shows you the way down and in the valley, near Georgetown, you see the aspen are ablaze in the yellows of fall. Above, that always beautiful, blue Colorado sky with some cool clouds to add interest.
Early fall in the Colorado high country brings some gorgeous scenes, particularly when the aspen trees begin to change and show off their gold. This past weekend I headed up into Pike National Forest for a look and spent quite a bit of time at this particular spot.
The road was lined with trees putting on their prettiest autumn display. The sun was just above the horizon, backlighting the yellow leaves and bursting through the gaps. Above, there were enough clouds to provide some interest and of course, those beautiful blue Colorado skies. The road was rough and muddy and the temperatures cold but, so worth it!
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